My experience of labour with my first child was in Japan at a midwife's center with strong emphasis on natural birth. My second child was delivered in Singapore at end of 2010 and only then, I realized the common habit of doctors in hospitals to induce labour. Fortunately, we had already advised our doctor in advanced of our preference for natural birth and paid the necessary ward class to have our preferred doctor facilitate the delivery, instead of other doctors who have not had communication with us earlier.
It seems like a simple procedure to induce birth. The doctor puts a sterile, plastic thin hook into the vagina, brush against the membranes just inside the cervix to cause artificial rupture and cause the water bag to break. When this happens, contraction can happen at a faster rate especially if it has already started. Often times, the woman at labour does not know what happens as she may not be able to feel the quick 2 seconds procedure and will not be able to see it. The doctor may not even explain the procedure to the parents in advanced, and treat it as part of the labour process. But, is this natural birth and is this necessary if there is no compelling reasons for it?
There are various legitimate reasons why a doctor need to induce labour. Among others, being prolonged pregnancy beyond 42nd weeks, baby being too big for safe labour or the woman has health risks. However, reasons such as doctors wanting to avoid delivering at night or during holiday season should not be excuses to invite mothers to admit to the hospital early for delivery.
Most doctors would act professionally to ask the mother to be admitted to hospital only when there is head engagement where the fetal head has descended into the pelvic cavity so that only a small part can be felt abdominally and most of it felt vaginally. It is known as the baby drop or lightening as there is renewed ease of breathing and release of pressure on the upper abdomen, but higher pressure on the rectum and pelvic floor. The mother can believe the doctor's words when she has increased sensation that the baby will fall out any moment.
Yet, how clear is the definition of head engagement? Would the doctor define it as fully engaged outside the abdomen or just about to engage into the vagina? The doctor may persuade the parents that once the water bag is broken, there may be little time to manage the labour process and advise admission to the delivery room much earlier. Yet, once admission to the delivery room, the parents have little choice to when they want the baby to be delivered as there will be charges associated to time spent in the delivery room.
These days, the hospital will usually provide a slightly earlier estimated due date (EDD) of 40th week gestation instead of the maximum of 42 weeks. There is possibility that this is to manage parent's expectation better in case the babies need to be delivered earlier to better manage hospital space and doctor's availability.
Yet, are we allowing nature to best take its place? Would a child achieve best optimum conditions if allowed to be delivered only when the water bag breaks and in God's perfect timing? Or should we listen to the doctor to please his/our convenience to deliver the baby as soon as slight conditions allow for the delivery? Would a longer gestation period support longevity and better health conditions for the baby? There are some who believe that aiming for natural birth with the longest possible gestation period (if health conditions permit) allows for better health to the baby and that he or she may have a longer life to live. I believe these are among the admirable, pure and excellent things that we should think about and aim to accomplish. Mummy decides this as she will be bearing the pain, yet sometimes mummy looks to daddy to judge on whether to accept what the doctor say as truth or not. Daddy being in the delivery room and in the whole delivery process and doctor visits helps better decision making.
(Photos show 10 minute old Sayaka born in 2010 in Singapore).
1 comment :
Oh Wow! I have another niece! :D
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